A Birth day

Jessie smiled and nodded when Angus stood he stood holding Chris against him as Yu walked to the table and cleared away the butter beer sending it to the duplex kitchen. " don't worry about the fire" he said according to some water and pouring it over the fire to douse it out.

" we'll see you in the morning and yes, I think Anise could take Chris to meet Fenrir," he said and nodded as Yu moved next to him " night guys." he said and moved towards their cabin. Ruby watched from inside and stepped to one side when the butter beer things floated inside to the kitchen, heading up she pulled out the trundle bed with out waking Caprice and made it ready for Abby. She lay out a pair of Pj'S for her and BooBoo kitty ready for Abby. Smiling she headed down to the living room and sat with a bok and a cup of tea while she waited. She smiled seeing Angus walk up with Abby in his arms and up to the nursary.

She heard Angus talk to Marcus and placed down her book. " good night Marcus" she said softly then moved to the stairs " we should sleep too" she said " lets go to bed" she asked him waiting at the foot of the stairs for him.

"That's fine. I'm drained," Angus told her. He went upstairs with her, and he didn't even consider reading tonight. He got into bed and turned off the light. "Night, Ru," he yawned, barely staying awake for a moment after his head hit the pillow.

But it didn't stay peaceful for him. He began to dream, and in his dream, he was outside in a strange place, a woods or a swamp, he couldn't tell which. All around him were strange trees, strange night sounds that he hadn't heard here in England. And it was hot and humid. He heard odd singing and chanting in the distance, and he made his way there through the trees.

In a clearing, he saw people dressed strangely, doing some sort of ritual dancing and chanting, and leading the dance was a woman with her hair done up in a turban, and she was holding a huge boa constrictor. She looked at him in her dream, and she was not at all friendly. When his eyes met hers, he knew for a fact that this was not just any dream. This woman was practicing some sort of dark arts he hadn't seen, and she had every intention of killing him. Looking beyond her, he could see, standing at the back, behind the dancers, was Suzanne, and she was laughing at him.

He woke with a jolt. He wasn't sure how she had managed it, but Suzanne had broken through Kate's protection spells. And he was positive Suzanne was up to something in regards to him. He got up and dug out a pair of jeans and a shirt and some slip on shoes. He grabbed two blades for his pockets and his wand.

Ruby walked with Angus up to their room and lay down next to him " night Angus love" she said softly then fell asleep she was woken by Angus leaving the bed, looking at the sky she saw it must have been stil early " Angus, whats wrong?" she asked slipping from the bed to look at him. She saw the daggers and looked at his face.

"do what you need, we'll be here " she said placing her hand on his cheek then gently kissing him knowing it must have been bad " I'll let Edward and Marcus know" she slipped on a dressing gown and headed to wher she knew Marcus was sleping " Marcus , Angus is awake and has his daggers, something happened and not a good thing." she told him

Angus was dressing in black mission wear, taking his hat and some weapons as well, and he was so focused that he barely heard Ruby when she said she was going to tell Marcus and Edward. Marcus, however, didn't need to be called twice when Ruby woke him. Marcus also knew how fast Angus could dress in the middle of the night, but Marcus was faster. He dressed and was armed and standing right outside the bedroom door when Angus opened the door to head downstairs. Angus looked at him, a little confused to see Marcus dressed and ready to go along, but he didn't argue with him.

"Let's go," Angus told Marcus quietly. Marcus nodded, and the two ported out.

Over in the main building, Kate was jolted awake too, but not by a nightmare. She felt a hard jolt of magical energy, and it took her a moment to place it, to figure out what had caused it. And then she knew. She was sure of it. She shook Robert awake.

"Robert. Robert, wake up," she called urgently.

"What? What is it?" he frowned sleepily.

"Our boys. One of our boys is in trouble," she said. "Something's gone wrong."

"Like what?" he frowned.

"I don't know," she said. "One of my spells--it's been undone. Dark energies are coming straight back at me and at one of our boys."

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"Where?"

"I don't know yet," she said, "but it isn't good." He scowled at her. "Well? Do something," she told him.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked. "You can't tell me which one of the boys, you can't tell me what's gone wrong or where or who's doing it---what exactly have you told me? What am I supposed to do based on that?"

"Get up!" she told him. "Get dressed. You're going to be needed, I'm sure of it." Grudgingly, he rose and dressed, and she dressed as well, sensing she might be needed as well. They armed themselves just in case.

Marcus found himself standing in Paris in the rain. It hadn't been raining in England, but it was surely raining here.

"What are we doing?" Marcus asked.

"Suzanne's found a way to break through Kate's protection spells. She's back, and she's headed somehow back at me. "

"How?" Marcus frowned. "She's not that competent magically, and Kate's spells are powerful. You think she's found someone else to do her dirty work?"

"Oh, I'm sure of it," Angus replied. "I've seen her."

"Her? It's a woman?" Marcus asked, and Angus nodded. "In your sleep. What's she look like?"

"Black woman, dressed in weird clothes. Broomstick skirt, a top made from wrapping a sarong or something around her like a halter top. Lots of beads and jewelry. A turban around her head. And she had a boa constrictor with her. She wasn't alone either. She had a group of people she was leading, and they were casting some sort of spells through ritual dancing."

"You know what that sounds like, don't you?"

"Yeah Like I'm off my bean and I shouldn't have butterbeer before bed."

"Not at all," Marcus said. "I've seen that sort of thing once before--when I was in American. There are places in the remote areas of the southeast there, deep in the Louisiana swamps, where there are odd forms of old, folk magic practiced there, supposedly powerful magic. It's been there for hundreds of years, and, at its worst, it has a reputation of bringing dark magic on people across long distances. Muggles think it's a big myth."

"Well, that doesn't say much. Muggles don't believe in much of anything," Angus said dryly. "But she's coming after me again, and I'm not willing to deal with her madness again."

"Well, if she's gotten into an agreement with one of these folks magic practitioners, then we might need to be either going to America or getting some help from Lee Shepherd. You might not find your answers here. So what's your plan? What are you hoping to do in Paris in the dark, in the rain?"

"Willow trees. She was in a grove of willow trees," Angus said. "In a swamp."

"Well, you might find that on the coast, but not in landlocked Paris," Marcus said. "I still think what you're describing is more in keeping with Louisiana, not France. But, if you're wanting to see if there's movement at the Gelding house, now that we can do. Maybe check some of the intel at the organization headquarters if you want."

"I have to start somewhere," Angus said. "All I know is it can't wait. Let's check the house."

"We can check it to see if it looks like it's active, but you won't see much on a night like this. They'll be indoors, surely, but let's go look just so we've covered the bases, shall we?"

"Please," Angus said, needing to make absolutely sure that Suzanne could not touch Ruby or the kids or just relentlessly haunt him again.

rUBY WAS GLAD WHEN SHE SAW marcus dress quickly and head up the stairs pausing at the top of the stairs she caught a glimps of Marcus leaving with Angus and knew he would be okay.

Moving back down she wrote a note to Robert and Kate telling them of what had hapened. " I'll give you double treats if you get this to Kate or robert fast" she told the little owl and moved to the back door watcing as he took off and flew right to the main house in threw the door Jack had opened and up to the second floor wher she lost sight of him and turned back to start breakfast for the girls and boys who she reasoned would be geting up soon.

Robert and Kate went downstairs, and Kate made coffee and tea, knowing that Zoe would be up soon to fix breakfast for everyone. Robert could see how tense Kate was.


"So what do you know?" Robert asked her.

"One of my spells was blown through like a battering ram," she told him, pouring them each a mug.

"From the protection grid? One of those?"

"No. I don't think so."

"The only other spells like that you've put up were the spells you laid to keep Suzanne and Reginald from being able to get to Angus," he told her. She took a sip of her coffee, thinking, and then she whirled on him.

"That's it," she said, wide eyed. "That's what's gone. The spells I laid around him."

"Then we have to go warn him," Robert said.

"And that's what's missing. He's gone. He already knows."

"Kate, Suzanne couldn't blast a hole in a paper bag. She's hired someone new. That maybe be what he suspects, and if that's true..."

"He's gone to Paris, then, hasn't he?"

"That's what I would do if I were him," Robert said. "I thought I saw Jack just a moment ago. Jack? You up?"

In Paris, Marcus and Angus arrived in an alley not far from the Gelding house, and as they were making their way towards the house, trying to use the darkness to conceal them, Angus suddenly was grabbed from behind, a wand jabbed into his neck. He froze for a moment, and then the figure that was holding him sighed and lowered their wand. Angus turned to see Lee Shepherd there in the darkness.

"Tell me you're not here to blow my case," Angus said.

"Depends," Lee said. "How long have you had your case?"

"About thirty minutes," Angus said.

"Then, no. You're here to blow mine. My people have been on this matter for a couple of days. We need to go talk..."

Just then they were interrupted by Gelding's men who began firing on them hot and heavy. Angus and Marcus and Lee began returning fire. And in the light caused by the wand fire, Angus could clearly see a figure behind them--the black woman in the strange clothes, and she was chanting something, something that felt as dark and evil as Angus had ever known.

Jack entered fter sucking from an owl that dove into the door way " wow little one slow down" he said to it and saw Robert with Kate " Yeah Im up, nothing unushual on patrol but saw Ruby up and an owl just flew past me looked like in a hurry too" it was now he saw it return " hey stop" he said and caught the bird giving it a treat as he took a note " hum for you Robert" he said and walked over with Pip on his shoulder to give it to Robert.

Jess walked down and looked to Kate worried " hes gone and in a hurry to" she said poring some coffee into a mug one for her and one for Jack who took it but not before kissing her and smiling. Jess handed Pip a treat " hey, he just had one he'll get fat" Jes chuckled and shook her ehad.

"nope he won't" she asi stroking the birds feathers " hes a good boy."

Robert took the note and read it and put it in his pocket.

"It only confirms what we already know," Robert said.

"Do we go to Paris to find him, then?" Kate asked.

"No, not yet. He's got Marcus with him. We'll wait and see if they need us."

In Paris, they were joined by several of Lee's men who joined the fighting, and Angus saw the woman move, heading towards the back of the Gelding property. Angus left Marcus and the others to follow her, to see what she was up to and where she was going. She was putting out the streetlights to avoid being seen, but that didn't deter Angus one particle. He stayed right on her, following her down the street, and around a corner, and then she spun and fired some sort of horrendous thing at Angus.

It came at him like a murky cloud of muddy brown light, almost like a stream of glowing muddy water, and it hit him with the ferocity of a speeding muggle bus. He stumbled backwards, and he fell facedown in a puddle of dirty water in a dark Paris alley, and for a moment, he was absolutely certain he was having a heart attack because it felt like his heart had just completely stopped.

In the kitchen, Kate felt it, and it completely doubled her over with chest pain. Robert flew to her and he caught her.

"It's not me," she gasped. "It's him. It's Angus. He's in trouble. You have to find him--quick."

"Jess," Robert said, lowering Kate into a kitchen chair, "Seer's tea. Lots of it. And get her a dose of Pain Potion II. Give her a full dose, and make sure she rests. I'll have to go. Jack, since you're up. you wanna come with me?" He accio'd one of his medical bags.

Angus was starting to believe he was going to die right here, along, in a puddle of filthy water in an alley in a slum neighborhood of Paris.

Jess was drinking her tea when she saw Kate double over accioing the potion she pored a dose and gave it to Kate then brewed some seers tea . Jack watched and listened to Robert transphigering his clothing to mission wear " right behind you" he siad sliding his wand into its holdher along side the daggers he took with him. " go, we'll be okay" Jess said she'd only felt a slight pain but knew with Kate being so close to Angus she felt it more. Jess held the cup with seers tea in for Kate to drink now it was made " here this should help" she said softly.

Ruby busied herself in the kitchen when she glanced over at The main house to see Robert and Jack now in mission wear she took a deep breath in and remaind calm knowing her job was to look after Caprice and the others at least until she was needed.

"Let's go, then," Robert said, taking Jack and porting to Paris. He knew without saying that they needed to go to the Gelding house.

Marcus glanced around and saw that Angus was gone.

"Where..." Marcus began.

"That way," Lee pointed. "He went after the woman." He looked at his men. "Keep us covered. You're with me, Belby." Lee turned and started going in the direction that he had seen Angus go.

Robert landed with Jack, and the moment they arrived, Robert was picking out fighters that weren't part of the organization. There was a skirmish going on just footsteps away from them between the fighters and Gelding's men. And then he saw something else. He saw the distinctive figure of Lee Shepherd cutting through the darkness, running away in a hurry from the fighting, and he had someone with him.

"What the hell is Lee doing here?" Robert frowned. "My money says we follow Lee. These guys are just keeping Lee covered. Let's go after him--carefully. I'd like us to not get killed in the process."

Lee and Marcus ran off, and they had run a couple steps past the alley where Angus was, but Marcus saw that all of a sudden the wet footprints stopped. Marcus whirled and ran back, and then he saw the alley. He lit his wand, and he saw a figure lying prone in the alley.

"Lee!" Marcus called sharply, running into the alley, afraid that Angus was dead. He crouched beside Angus and rolled him up onto his side. "Breathe," Marcus said in a quiet, steady voice. "Just breathe, Mate." Marcus started looking for a wound someplace, any place.

"The woman. You have to stop her," Angus said.

"I know all about the woman," Lee said. "If we don't get her tonight, we'll get her tomorrow." Lee looked at Marcus. "I don't think you'll find a bleeding wound. I think this is something else entirely. This is magic you lot aren't familiar with here."